EVO IOOC ITALY EVO International Olive Oil Contest

Rules of EVO IOOC ITALY

1. Organisation

The EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® was established in 2016 to promote and enhance the sector of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
It rewards the world's best extra virgin and flavoured extra virgin olive oils.

The contest comprises two distinct sections. The EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® is dedicated exclusively to the evaluation of extra virgin olive oils, while the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Flavoured Olive Oil Contest® is dedicated exclusively to the evaluation of flavoured extra virgin olive oils.

This international contest takes place in Italy and is organised by the EVO IOOC Association on behalf of the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®.

2. Mission

EVO IOOC Italy is an international competition organised to achieve the following objectives:

• Recognising and rewarding the best extra virgin olive oils and flavoured EVOOs from around the globe.
• Promote the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil to consumers by highlighting its positive effects and emphasising its role in a balanced diet.
• Raise awareness of, and disseminate information about, the health, pharmacological and nutraceutical properties of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) among consumers. The aim is to encourage the international market to use this staple food in their kitchens, given the exceptional qualities of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) produced in different countries.
• Promote the exceptional qualities of extra virgin olive oil produced in various countries on an international scale, as well as to increase the visibility of the extra virgin olive oil and flavoured EVOO market in Italy, the Mediterranean region and beyond.
• Highlight the advantages of using extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean diet.
• Promote winning producers to buyers, consumers, international markets and the media.
• Increase international consumption of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Encourage extra virgin olive oil producers to improve the quality of their products overall by encouraging competition and comparison.
• Showcase the finest producers of extra virgin olive oil and flavoured EVOO, as well as their production regions, to highlight the diversity of the world's finest olive oils.

Furthermore, by entering the EVO IOOC Italy:

• By winning the EVO IOOC Italy International Olive Oil Contest®, you will receive 10 points towards the WREVOO (World Ranking Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
• The project, entitled 'Traceability of EVOOs', is a significant study on the identification of extra virgin olive oils. Promoted by the Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of the Agricultural Economy – Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops (CREA OFA – Italy), it allows for participation.
• All samples will be evaluated by a panel of professional judges from around the globe, led by Antonio G. Lauro.
• The EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® trophies will enhance the prestige of winning brands in international markets, offering exclusive benefits. As the leading international showcase for winning products, the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® connects winning brands with the most influential distributors and importers worldwide.
• A distinctive trophy will be presented to the winner of each category (Conventional, Organic, PDO/PGI, Monovarietal, Blend, and Flavoured).
• You can offer consumers a range of certificates of excellence, including 'Best in Class', 'Best of Country', 'Special Awards', 'Gold' and 'Silver' medals, which are issued by the EVO International Olive Oil Contest®.
• All winners will benefit from global advertising through the official EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® website, as well as its social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), and the contest newsletter, which is sent to thousands of consumers. Winners will be promoted to key audiences, including olive oil enthusiasts, influencers, chefs, buyers, and sales chains, both online and offline, as well as professionals in the food sector. Additionally, the winners will be featured in media coverage and dedicated articles on our blog, provided by our media partners.
• Promote awareness among consumers of the health and nutraceutical properties of EVOO.
• The winning companies' EVOO and flavoured EVOO will be showcased to consumers and chefs at culinary art schools and restaurants in Italy and abroad during oleo-gastronomic events.
• All winning bottles will be eligible to display quality stickers issued by the organisation, including 'Best in Class', 'Best of Country', 'Special Awards', 'Gold' and 'Silver'.
• Each product in the competition will be benchmarked against the world's best EVOO and flavoured EVOO.
• All producers will have the opportunity to assess their quality standards in an international context, and the awards received will serve as a prestigious marketing tool for their products.

3. EVO IOOC Italy participating products⁽¹⁾

The following products have been accepted to participate in EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® Extra Virgin Olive Oils from all over the world (Northern and Southern Hemisphere):

• Conventional Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
• PDO/PGI Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Additionally, samples of extra virgin olive oil may be:

• Single varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Monovarietal extra virgin olive oil);
• Coupage Extra Virgin Olive Oil (A Blend of two or more varieties).

Additionally, Flavoured EVOO, which may be aromatised in various ways, are eligible to participate in the competition:

• Condiments (Flavoured EVOOs).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The product must be accompanied by:

• chemical analysis certificate issued by an accredited testing lab (ISO 17025 compliant) indicating free fatty acids, peroxides, absorption characteristics (K232nm, K270nm, and ΔK), etc.;
• panel test issued by an accredited testing lab (IOC, EU, etc,.) or self-certification of the fruity, bitter and pungent category with indication of the respective intensity (delicate, medium, robust) and no defects;
• In the case of organic production and/or PDO/PGI, the certificate issued by the control body must be enclosed.

This refers to the batch of the sample entered and dated within 180 days prior to submission. In the case of extra virgin olive oils, samples must meet the following criteria: the median of the defects must be equal to 0 (Md= 0) and the median of the fruity attribute must be above 0 (Mf> 0).
All parameters must comply with the limits set by the IOC (IOC/T.20) and the Commission Regulation [Reg. (UE) 2022/2104 (Delegated Regulation) and Reg. (UE) 2022/2105 (Implementing Regulation)].

Flavoured EVOO

It is a requirement that the organic Flavoured EVOO be accompanied by the appropriate certification issued by the control body.
 

(1) Products from around the globe may enter the categories indicated, provided they are bottled and bear an official brand label compliant with the laws of the country of origin. By entering the contest, participants agree to abide by the stated rules and regulations, as well as the decisions of the judging panel, which are final.

4. Participation

The EVO IOOC Italy competition is open to individual olive growers, olive oil mills, producer cooperatives, cooperative associations, bottlers, export companies, and any other business that produces, bottles, or trades branded EVOOs.

The Organising Committee reserves the right to request proof of origin for all submitted samples. This must be provided in the form of appropriate documentation.
All submitted samples must be labelled with an official brand in accordance with the laws of the country of origin. Furthermore, all samples of extra virgin olive oil presented at the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® must comply with the following requirements:

• All samples must originate from a single, homogeneous batch of at least 500 litres.
• They must also be bottled in appropriate bottles or containers with a capacity of 1 litre or less.
• Furthermore, they must be accompanied by certification from an accredited laboratory, including chemical analysis and a panel test.

The Flavoured EVOO presented at the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® must comply with the following requirements:

• The product must originate from a single, homogeneous batch of at least 100 litres.
• It must also be bottled in appropriate bottles or containers containing 1 litre or less.

The President of the Contest may approve any exceptions to these requirements, provided they are justified.

5. Stages of the 2026 competition (Eleventh Edition)

6. Registration and Entry Fee⁽²⁾

To register EVOOs and flavoured EVOOs for the EVO IOOC Italy Competition, participating companies must register on www.evo-iooc.com, complete the registration process and send the samples. Samples must arrive at our offices no later than 12 June 2026 (deadline).

Entry Fee:

1) Extra Virgin Olive Oils & Flavoured EVOOs

Early booking (by March 15, 2026)

• For only one sample submitted: € 240,00

Multiple registrations:

Regular Booking (Registration and payment by June 12, 2026)

• For only one sample submitted: € 290,00

Multiple registrations:

All tuition fees must be paid to the EVO IOOC Italy by June 12, 2026.
 

IMPORTANT: It is recommended that you fill in all the entry form fields correctly, paying close attention to their completeness and the way in which the information is entered (e.g. use of upper/lower case), and carefully checking the accuracy of the data. This information will be used to publish the results on the evo-iooc.com website.
No changes will be possible after June 12, 2026.
 

(2) All registration rights will be retained by the organization and will not be returned if the samples sent arrive after the official entry date (deadline) set by these competition regulations. Furthermore, the organization may decide, at any time and unilaterally, to cancel the EVO IOOC Italy event. In this case, only the registration fees already paid will be returned to the participating companies and in no case, the samples sent to the competition will be returned.

7. Payment methods

EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® Payment methods:

• By Credit Card via PayPal
• By PayPal
• By Wire Transfer addressed to

Please enter the number of registration slots and the product names submitted to EVO IOOC Italy in the comments section. Please note that samples for which payment or customs clearance expenses have not been made will not be admitted to the judging process.

8. Invoice Information

Invoices are mandatory for non-EU shipments. They must contain the product name and report it as an EVO IOOC Italy Contest entry.

9. Sample shipping

Please be advised that for each sample of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Flavoured Extra Virgin Olive Oil entered in the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®, participating companies are required to send the relevant documentation to the C. A. EVO IOOC Italy Competition Office by June 12, 2026 (the deadline for arrival at our offices). Please provide 4 (four) bottles or other suitable food containers of any size (minimum 250ml). All containers must have valid labelling in the country of origin.

Furthermore, it will be necessary to send:

• Chemical analysis (FFA, peroxide, UV, etc.) certificate issued by an accredited testing (only EVOOs);
• Invoice with a nominal value of € 3.00 per bottle (mandatory for non-EU shipments), or else labeling sample packaging "SAMPLE WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE-NOT FOR SALE" (the price must always be indicated). All bottles or containers must bear an official brand label compliant with the laws of the country of origin.

In the case of Organic production and/or PDO/PGI, the certificate issued by the control body must be enclosed.
The participating company declares that the samples registered in the competition is part of the lot declared in the entry form.

IMPORTANT: For destinations outside the EU, samples must be shipped 'door-to-door', preferably via a freight forwarder or courier, and labelled 'Delivery Duty Paid⁽³⁾’. The organisers decline any responsibility for the delivery of samples after the established date. The contest organisers are not to be held responsible for the total or partial loss of samples during transport, or for any chemical, physical or organoleptic alterations to the samples due to thermal excursions, breakages or other anomalies occurring during transportation. Shipping costs, including possible customs and health charges up to the destination, are fully borne by the participating companies.
 

EVO IOOC Italy will under no circumstances pay extra shipping costs. For samples coming from outside the EU, we recommend 'Duty Paid' or 'Delivery Duty Paid’⁽³⁾. In exceptional cases, this organisation may anticipate any due customs clearance charges, which must be reimbursed by the participating company before the start of the competition. Otherwise, oils (EVOO or flavoured) with outstanding customs clearance charges will not be admitted to the competition. It is advisable to strictly follow the instructions on the application form. If you have any doubts, please write to info@evo-iooc.com. From receipt of the samples to their presentation to the panel, the organisers will be responsible for storing the samples correctly and adequately to ensure their integrity.

(3) Incoterms: D.D.P. Delivery Duty Paid. In the term “Duty Free Return” the seller fulfills the obligation of delivery by making the goods available to the buyer in the agreed place in the importing country. The seller must bear the risks and costs, including duties, taxes and other charges, in order to be able to deliver the goods to that place, cleared for importation.

10. Sample evaluation

Once the relevant documentation for each product has been verified, the sample will be placed in the correct category.
The samples will then be evaluated using an app developed for the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®. During the tasting sessions, this app will display the official tasting sheet and a points system ranging from 0 to 100.

11. The Jury

The President and a technical committee will be responsible for selecting the jury and commission members. The number of judges tasting the samples will depend on the number of entries to the contest.

The President (Panel Leader) and the General Manager of EVO IOOC Italy will oversee the contest proceedings.

The jury will comprise individuals with an excellent reputation in the world of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), who are widely recognised as thought leaders in their respective countries. Their extensive knowledge of and expertise in the olive oil sector will contribute to the success of the competition and enhance its global reputation.

To guarantee the highest level of transparency, judges participating in the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® will not evaluate extra virgin olive oils or flavoured EVOO from any company with which they or their relatives are involved, whether as producers, bottlers or distributors.

To ensure impartiality, all judges must sign a declaration stating whether they have any involvement with companies in the oil-growing, milling, or bottling sectors. If a judge has connections, they will be assigned samples where there is no conflict of interest.

12. Results

All winners will be notified of the outcome of the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® on the contest's website (www.evo-iooc.it). Additionally, an email notification will be sent. Following the announcement of the results, the prize certificate (diploma) will be made available to download from the website.
Please note that publication of the results on the competition website constitutes the only official notification of the award. This recognises the high quality of the product as judged by the official EVO IOOC Italy competition panel.

Any other form of publicity regarding the competition results will be considered provisional until the final results are published on the competition's official website (www.evo-iooc.com).

Upon written request from relevant companies, we will provide a brief description of the extra virgin olive oil or flavoured EVOO submitted to the competition, along with information on its classification in the product category (including scores, strengths and weaknesses, if applicable).

The competition has established various prize categories:

Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

• Best in Class, Special Award and Best of Country⁽⁴⁾;
• Other awards⁽⁵⁾ (Gold Medal, Silver Medal).

Flavoured EVOOs (Condiments):

• Best in Class⁽⁴⁾;
• Other awards⁽⁵⁾ (Gold Medal, Silver Medal).

(4) A trophy will be presented to the winners of each category at the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®, along with a certificate validating the prize. The official representative of the producer or their delegate will be presented with the trophy at the awards ceremony. The awards may be collected within a few days of the ceremony, or they may be shipped at the producer's expense to the address provided on the entry form if requested in writing.

(5) All winners of other awards will receive a certificate validating the award and specifying the category of the award. The diploma will be available for download from the official contest website once the contest has concluded.

13. Awards

The competition consists of two distinct sections:

• EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® reserved for Extra Virgin Olive Oils
• EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® reserved for Flavoured EVOOs

and confers the following awards:

EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®

The absolute prizes of the competition consist of the Best in Class Awards awarded to the best EVOOs or Condiments (Flavoured EVOO) in the category to which they belong.

A. EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® - Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Best in Class divided into extra virgin olive oils from the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere:

• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Award - North Hemisphere: top prize to the best Monovarietal, Coupage (blend), PDO/PGI or Organic extra virgin olive oil from the Northern Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Award - South Hemisphere: top prize to the best Monovarietal, Coupage (blend), PDO/PGI or Organic extra virgin olive oil from the Southern Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Organic - North Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Organic - South Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International PDO/PGI - North Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International PDO/PGI - South Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Monovarietal - North Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Monovarietal - South Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Coupage - North Hemisphere.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Coupage - South Hemisphere.

The above-mentioned prizes are complemented by Special Awards and Best of Country.

Special Awards

• EVO IOOC Italy Best of Host Region: top prize to the best PDO/PGI, Monovarietal, Coupage (blend) or Organic extra virgin olive oil produced in the Italian region hosting the competition.
• EVO IOOC Italy Ràul C. Castellani Best of South America dedicated to who has been the Technical Director and co-founder of the Contest, for the best extra virgin olive oil PDO/PGI, Monovarietal, Coupage (blend) or Organic from South America.
• EVO IOOC Italy Best Of Area, special award to the best extra virgin olive oil PDO/PGI, Monovarietal, Coupage (blend) or Organic of a single region or area.

Best Of Country

• EVO IOOC Italy Best Of Country, special award to the best extra virgin olive oil of a single country.

B. EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® reserved for Flavoured EVOOs

Best in Class

• EVO IOOC Italy Best International Flavoured EVOO: top prize to the best Flavoured extra virgin olive oil.

Other awards (Gold and Silver Medals) for Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavoured EVOO.

• EVO IOOC Italy Gold Medal (from 84 to 100 points)
• EVO IOOC Italy Silver Medal (from 65 to <84 points)

In the event that an extra virgin olive oil achieves the highest score in more than one category in the competition, it will be awarded a single prize. The order of this prize will be as follows:

• Best International; Best Organic; Best PDO/PGI; Best Monovarietal; Best Coupage (Blend); Best of Country; Special Awards.

14. Stickers⁽⁶⁾

To encourage commercial activity and the promotion of extra virgin olive oils and flavoured EVOOs that were awarded in the competition, the organisation will provide the high-definition file of the sticker showing the category of prize won (Best in Class, Best of Country, Special Awards, Gold Medal or Silver Medal) upon request and for a fee. This file can be used to print and affix the sticker to the label.

To request the file, please access your private area or contact us at info@evo-iooc.com.

Winners may affix the adhesive labels provided by the contest organisation to bottles containing the same product (same harvest, olive varietals, and production batch) and packaging as the winning sample.

The prize sticker may not be used for any other purpose.
 

(6) Printing specifications for stickers: The print size is 30mm x 30mm. The edge requirements are as follows: Minimum size: 2.54mm; Maximum size: 2.54mm. It is recommended that the cutting line be indicated with a 0.5-1pt magenta mark.

15. Terms and Conditions

The EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest® technical committee reserves the right to carry out an analytical check on any extra virgin olive oils or condiments that win a prize in the competition. This will involve sending the sample to a laboratory accredited for commercial compliance verification. The President of the competition will retain a sample of all winning products for 30 days after the prize has been awarded, to allow for potential analysis and checks. Furthermore, all stored samples can be used to promote and disseminate the quality of EVOO.

It is the responsibility of each participating company or individual to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of all data reported on the registration form. The technical committee reserves the right to verify this information.

Reproducing or falsifying the name, competition logo, sticker or certificate of the prizes won, the certificate attesting to the prize awarded, or the competition's name or logo is prohibited. Winning companies may use these for promotional purposes. Any breach of this agreement will result in legal action being taken against the offender.
In the event of a dispute arising from the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®, the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court in Palmi, Italy, regardless of the contestants' nationality.

Documents relating to the competition must be submitted in either Italian or English. The Organising Committee reserves the right to amend the above terms and conditions at any time should the need arise. In the event of a dispute regarding the EVO IOOC Italy EVO International Olive Oil Contest®, the samples will not be subject to further tasting. The jury's decision is final and binding. Participation in the contest implies acceptance of this rule.

16. Contacts

• Associazione EVO IOOC
  Via Giotto, 11 - 89015 PALMI (RC)
  Fiscal code: 91032030800 - E-mail: info@evo-iooc.com
• EVO IOOC Italy Competition Presidency: Antonio G. Lauro
  via Giotto, 11 - 89015 Palmi (RC) - e-mail: lauro@evo-iooc.com
• General Direction of the EVO IOOC Italy Competition: Stefania Reggio
  Corso Europa, 16 - 20060 Pessano Con Bornago (MI) - e-mail: reggio@evo-iooc.com
• Technical Direction of the EVO IOOC Italy Competition: Leonardo Castellani
  Città di Mendoza Mendoza (Argentina) - e-mail: info@evo-iooc.com
• Website: www.evo-iooc.com - Official e-mail address: info@evo-iooc.com